A skipped number, deferred completion and cancellation are different states
A non-qualifying bar does not advance the second count, but does not cancel it by itself. Completion is deferred when a candidate for 13 passes the base test but fails an additional completion check. In the variant checking 13 against the eighth counted bar, “+” appears, the count remains at 12 and waits for a qualifying completion. The “+” mark is visible when its display is enabled.
Cancellation ends an unfinished branch under the selected variant’s rules, for example after a qualifying opposite sequence or a breached price condition. It differs from a pause between numbers. Keep the calculation variant and source history the same when comparing results; hiding numbers does not cancel the calculation.
Initial sequence and count of qualifying bars: the main counting rules
initial sequence is the initial consecutive sequence; count of qualifying bars is the subsequent count of qualifying bars. A downward initial sequence has closes below closes four bars earlier; an upward initial sequence has closes above them. In a standard downward count of qualifying bars, the close must be no higher than the low two bars earlier; in an upward count of qualifying bars it must be no lower than the high.
The calculation preset determines how a sequence starts, additional conditions, final-number deferrals and cancellation rules. These are the main principles rather than a specification of every preset. Before comparing platforms, check the selected rules and whether the input bars are complete. A 13 is a count completion rather than thirteen calendar days.
| Stage | What is compared | How to read it |
|---|---|---|
| Initial sequence · to 9 | The close is compared with the close four bars earlier; a consecutive run of qualifying bars is required. | 9 completes the initial stage. A failed comparison interrupts an unfinished run. |
| Count of qualifying bars · to 13 | In the standard count, the close is compared with the low or high two bars earlier; only qualifying bars count. | Bars can be skipped. Additional completion and cancellation checks depend on the preset. |
9 and 13 answer different questions
The calculation presets include additional checks, deferrals and rules for cancelling unfinished counts. A missing next number is not necessarily a display error: the selected conditions may not have been met.
9 · initial-stage completion: A 9 completes the initial consecutive sequence. It says that this stage’s conditions have been met. A pause, a pullback or continued movement may follow; it does not appoint an inevitable reversal.
13 · further-count completion: A 13 completes a further count of qualifying bars. Gaps may occur between them. It does not mean “the thirteenth day after a 9”.
Practice: check your understanding on one chart
Find two consecutive count numbers separated by ordinary bars in full-count view. Separately look for deferred completion or cancellation if present in the loaded history. Record a distinct sign for each case; do not invent an absent case.
What the completed observation should contain
A skipped count number, deferred 13 and branch cancellation are different states.
Primary sources
Sources explain the mechanics and limitations; the editorial examples use invented numbers rather than market quotations.
Your next practical step
Open the linked help page, repeat the steps on one instrument, and record the symbol, timeframe, profile and observation date so that the result can be checked again.
Open the first-chart instructions ↗